In the wake of the Black Lives Matter Movement, support for Black Businesses has grown exponentially. In the last year, interest in Black Owned spots has increased by more than 7,000%, (Yes, you did read that correctly.) and this year, Black buying power is expected to reach $1.5 trillion, an increase from $1.2 trillion in 2016.
Bread is a food that literally transcends across all cultures. It is something about the sweet, starchy, yeasty baked good that brings comfort to just about anyone. (Except those who are gluten free, of course.) Well, there is a new sliced bread on the shelf, and it’s black owned. In fact, it’s the first ever Black Owned sliced bread company in the world. Friends Charles, Jamel and Mark are the owners of The Black Bread Co. in Chicago. After the murder of George Floyd, they were inspired to make their mark by becoming the first Black Owned sliced bread company. Their mission is “to collectively encourage creativity and ensure generational progression to sustain marginalized communities.”
Tell us your journey to becoming the first black owned sliced bread company. What obstacles did you face along the way?
The Black Bread Company launched during the Covid 19 Pandemic. Originally, the company was to begin distribution in early 2020. However, quarantine restrictions prevented us from having a grand opening that would allow us to display our products by offering samples to various communities. Additionally, one of the owners suffered a job loss, which reduced the amount of capital invested in the business. We had to delay operations for several months, which was a financial setback for the company.
In 2019, only 9.5% of businesses were Black Owned. How can we allocate more resources so that we have access to funds to start businesses, and how do we stress the importance of being an entrepreneur?
Educating our people on the true meaning of entrepreneurship as well as providing structured programming with resources for startups is extremely important when it comes to developing and empowering entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship plays a major role in controlling the narratives of our everyday lives as well as the future generations of our family tree. To understand what it means to become an entrepreneur is also to understand what it means to be independent, hardworking, and self-sufficient. There is power in leadership and ownership.
How do you balance family life with being successful business owners?
We pride ourselves on being Husbands & Fathers, first. Starting The Black Bread Company has made our weekends very sacred to us. We are intentional about protecting our family time. Our wives are supportive of our business and they are our loudest cheerleaders. They value going through this journey with us, while assisting wherever we need them. The Black Bread Company is a family brand and we do not ever hesitate to lean on one another for encouragement.
Why bread, and not another food or service?
We did not select bread intentionally, actually, bread chose us. Lol. Bread just happened to be the first item on Mark’s grocery store list and upon research; we discovered that there were not any Black-owned sliced bread companies. We created this brand for representation in the bread industry, as we have been ostracized for over 100 years.
Where do you all see this business going in the next 10 years?
Our goal is for The Black Bread Co to be a household name. We are striving for our bread to be in every grocery store, as well as every home in the world. We hope that within the next 10 years, we have inspired our youth & peers to become more conscious of their purchasing power, while creating generational wealth for their families. Additionally, we are aiming to improve minority economic development, focusing on creating jobs in marginalized communities.
You can purchase their bread and some dope merchandise on their website: https://blackbreadco.com/
